The leather industry is one of the oldest in the history of mankind. Our most distant ancestors used skins to protect their bodies, hands and feet. Leather is made from the skin of any mammal, reptile, bird or fish through a process called tanning. This process preserves the skin that would otherwise putrefy quickly.
Today, at least half of the leather produced is used for shoes and about a quarter for clothing. Only about 15% is used for furniture and the rest is processed into leather goods and other consumer products.
The hides and skins came from animals that were hunted or raised for food purposes. The current trend is for most upholstery leather to be derived from bovine hides (i.e. cowhide) as these are readily available and better suited to the needs of today's designers, producers and customers.
Far from losing its popularity, leather is still the material of choice for many people, not only for commercial and private furnishings, but also for the automotive, aviation and marine industries.
It's time to dive a little deeper into the history of this noble material: are you ready?
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Leather processing is an activity that goes back to the dawn of time. In prehistoric times, man sought protection from the weather and realized that the animals he ate were not only a source of food, but could also be used to make clothing or huts.
However, untreated skin takes very little time to putrefy. It was therefore necessary to find ways to preserve these skins so that they could be worn longer without filthy odors.
Researchers have shown that the earliest evidence of leather work, including the scraping of hides, dates back about 400,000 years (The oldest tools discovered to this day date from 84,000 to 72,000 years ago, and were discovered in South Africa).
📷 Credit: National Geographic's Youtube Channel
At that time, the Neanderthal man had his body covered with hair and didn't need clothes. However, he got into the habit of taking the skin from the game he had just killed in order to use it as an umbrella or sunshade.
These hides were placed on branches and taken away during hunting periods. The life span of these skins was short because of alternating rains and sunshine.
But around the year 8000 BC, a deluge occurred creating a turmoil characterized by the appearance of seasons more pronounced than during the Upper Paleolithic. The alternation of rain and sunshine became more and more frequent. Then the cold became more important, which pushed the man to cover himself to sleep.
In addition to this, man's genetic modification began to cause him to lose his abundant hair. And soon his skin needs protection. To meet this need, he hunted more and more and tried to increase the life span of his skins.
The first preservative was salt (also used to preserve meat), which humans of that time used to penetrate the raw hide (this preservation lasted until it rained). In order to prolong the preservation, humans got into the habit of degreasing the hides with clay before putting the salt in.
First trial of oil tanning appeared during the Neolithic period: the fatty acids in the oil interacted with the protein in the skin and made the product chemically stable. Most often, before coating the skin with brain, the skin was chewed, with the slightly acidic saliva acting as tannin.
Numerous historian argues that leatherwork was invented by chance. It is not known how long ago vegetable tanning was invented, but it is assumed that its discovery was largely a matter of chance.
According to the books of the Hittites, it was around 2200 BC that a shepherd from Sinai slaughtered a goat, took off the skin and defatted it with clay and salt. The goat was then carried away by a whirlwind in the distance.
It then fell back into a rock hollow filled with water which had partly dissolved alum salts. The presence of salt on the skin favored the action of the alum. Our shepherd a month later with his flock passed by the rock hollow where his skin had fallen. He saw it, picked it up, dried it again and put it on.
Contrary to usual times, the skin turned white but did not rot. Intrigued, the shepherd repeated the operation under the same circumstances and once again the skin stopped decomposing. He understood that the water in this place had peculiarities and that it was loaded with salt, which he called "Rock Salt". Our shepherd had become the first tanner in history.
The Hittites were a merchant people who had made it their specialty to sell their products from one region to another with caravans. For almost 1,000 years the Hittites were the only ones who knew how to tan leather and their prosperity was largely based on this secret.
📷 Credit: Epimetheus's Youtube Channel
It was around the year 2000 BC that a new technique of preservation using smoke appeared. Smoking was used by humans to preserve meat ("smoked meat"). They noticed that the skins worn during the smoking process became more resistant (we know today that the burning of green wood, leaves and bark releases tar-laden gases that settle in the hides and ensure sufficient preservation).
From the year 1000 B.C., in Central Europe they improved the technique. From the smoking, they improved the technique by rubbing the hides with birch bark to which they then added birch oil which gave "Russian Leather" with a very characteristic smell.
The Carthaginians were the first to break through the secret of tanning and adapt it to sheepskin. Around the year 1000 BC they established a large production centre for sheep hides in the Rhone delta near Marseille. One can therefore imagine that it was at this time that the first leather cases appeared. Then the descendants of the Hittites moved to Italy.
But with the Gallo-Roman wars, exchanges between the different regions were increasingly limited and little by little leather work began to decline.
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The Greeks and Romans had industrialized manufacturing techniques. The hides were soaked in large vats in which a solution of tannin was found.
In Rome, urine was used. It was collected in public toilets for artisan tanners. This trade was taxed by Vespasian who worked to generalize this public service. The Romans were the first people to use leather for both footwear and clothing and for the manufacture of shields and harnesses, outfitting hundreds of thousands of soldiers throughout Europe.
A tannery was excavated under the ashes of Pompeii. Archaeologists have found there many amphorae of Lipari. This island was known as a producer of tannin, the main advantage of which was, after treatment, to allow the product to be finished by dyeing. The tannin of Lipari was abundantly exported to Gaul.
In Spain, too, there are many traces of a thriving leather industry. Then under Moorish domination (around the 8th century), Cordovan leather production developed, notably thanks to innovations in tanning techniques. This leather was later sold all over Europe, particularly recognized for its quality and robustness.
In the Middle Ages, the leather working industry was organised and established in specific areas. Access to the hides had to be easy and the workshop had to be close to a river.
The 12th century can be considered as the century of the leather renaissance, as technological advances were significant. They were so consequent that between the 12th and 20th centuries, these techniques persisted without undergoing major changes. The large leather-working areas have remained the same for more than 8 centuries. It was not until the chemical industry developed in the 19th century that the leather industry was able to take advantage of this.
Most of the advances in leather working were, at the beginning, accidental and acquired through experience and observation. Later, the leather industry developed from small family productions to an industry located in hunting and breeding areas.
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Picture Collection, The New York Public Library. (1784 - 1785).Various Footwear, Ancient Greece.Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e1-3319-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the leather trades took on considerable importance and the profession was very prosperous. In France, there were more than 5,000 tanning workshops, employing between 30,000 and 40,000 people. Each city or town then has one or more tanning mills to make bark powder for vegetable tanning and a tannery.
At that time, leather was the only material that was both supple and resistant. Its use was very frequent and was used in the composition of many objects. However, production by natural tanning remained slow, with rudimentary tools. In a normal cycle it took several months to get a properly tanned leather.
The first extraction processes (chemical separation process) were experimented by renowned chemists such as M. Seguin under the direction of the Leather Convention in the 18th century. But it was not a success!
A great decline for the leather market occurs with the arrival of a new synthetic material: Plastic and its derivatives from oil.
This material made its appearance around 1870. The advantages of plastic are obvious: a very fast manufacturing time and a much lower production cost. The profession had to find a new manufacturing method to restore leather to its former place. In 1850, the German chemist Knapp discovered chrome tanning.
The first industrial production of leather with mineral tanning in France will take place in 1870. Machines to accelerate the chrome tanning process appear around 1880. At the beginning of the 20th century, the leather industry in France is considered to be the third largest after metallurgy and textiles.
Some technical improvements and new machines are noted at the beginning of the 20th century, but these advances remain very limited. The manufacturing cycle is still too long and takes several months.
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From 1950 onwards, modern processes replace the old methods with an increase in production and the diversity of the leathers manufactured. The vast majority of leather companies enter the industrial sector.
The leather industry thus benefits from the appearance of synthetic polymers thanks to the development of chemistry, but also from considerable progress in tanning equipment. The leather market can thus follow fashion, and supply leathers of increasingly varied aspects: natural, waxed or modern with a wide range of reflections. New types of hides are also being tanned: reptiles, birds and fish!
At the same time, a general awareness of the environment intensified from 1970 onwards. Vegetable tanning remained constant and a new method of chrome tanning replaced significantly the old process, especially for uses such as shoe uppers.
The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Photography Collection, The New York Public Library. (1860 - 1920).>Tanning Drums for Chrome Leather.Retrieved from http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47d9-ad41-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99
Leather in general is a natural product. It breathes, it warms, and has characteristics that make each skin unique. Leather will always bear the marks of its natural origin, and these characteristics can manifest themselves in the form of scars, growth marks, areas with dense fibres or uneven pore structure. These marks in no way compromise the quality of the leather. They are signs that discerning buyers appreciate when buying leather. With time and use, leather develops a patina that emphasizes its beauty.
These are indications of the age of the animal and as such are similar to the wire on a piece of wood. They can range from very pronounced markings in the neck area to very subtle stripes across the skin, perpendicular to the line on the back. The most pronounced growth marks are often placed on the back of the seat backs.
They are usually formed by contact with barbed wire or by the horns of another animal. When these marks are healed, the new dermis is as solid as the rest of the skin, but if they are not healed they should be rejected because tension on this part of the skin can create a tear.
The texture of the fibre varies a lot, from loose in the belly area, it becomes taut on the spine. The looser areas therefore have more lending. Variations in pore structure are particularly noticeable on natural grain leathers, on which enlarged pore aggregates are sometimes observed.
Each skin is unique; and because of the different skin grains mentioned above, dyes and finishes penetrate each part of the skin differently, giving it elegant shades. While we strive to maintain uniformity, this is not always possible and not necessarily desirable.
Researchers estimate that the first treated skins date back to 17,000 BC. At that time, hominids used flint and shells to treat their skins.
Although rustic, this treatment allowed them to protect themselves from the cold. Furs were particularly appreciated and allowed them to get through the coldest winters. It was only later that traces of more sophisticated tools were found.
This function is still important today, especially in the clothing industry, where the waterproof capabilities of leather allow jackets to retain body heat (in addition to protecting against moisture).
Leather was also a mark of power. The greatest chefs wore the rarest leathers. Thus, it was not uncommon to let animal distinctions appear on the hides (fangs, paws, mouth, etc.). In this way, men appropriated the animal's strengths and peculiarities. The most beautiful skins represented offerings or gifts (to chiefs or gods).
This function is also still relevant today, especially in the luxury sector where the most beautiful leathers adorn designers' creations. Leather is an extremely noble material because it is resistant and pleasant to the touch. It is found in many luxury creations, and through many industries (textile, interior design, automotive).
It was much later, with the improvement of the treatment of hides, that leather became a real commodity. It was highly prized by the Romans and was a formidable armor and a pleasant garment.
The first tanners, true craftsmen of another era, were born at this time. Since then, tanning has continued to progress until it became what it is today.
Leather is often associated with cows, as it is one of the most common leathers. However, the term leather covers the use of the hide of many animals. Similarly, depending on the working method used, leather is given different names
📷 Credit: Pink Again's Youtube Channel
📷 Credit: Boss Leather's Youtube Channel
Fresh skins are salted to remove water from the tissues and thus slow down the degradation caused by the development of the microorganisms present: coarse miner's salt with a grain size of 2 to 3 mm in diameter is used and antiseptic agents may be added. During salting, skins can lose up to 10% of their weight in water. The hides are stacked in such a way as to facilitate the flow of brine in a room with a relative humidity of 70 % to 90 %. The temperature is maintained at around 10 °C to improve the preservation of the hides.
After 15 days, the hides are desalted, examined one by one and sorted according to thickness, number of skin defects, presence of scars, weight and surface area.
Once the hide arrives at the tannery, it undergoes the "river work" which is a succession of five operations:
In this process the skin is treated with vegetable tannins extracted from the bark and wood of certain trees. For centuries, oak bark has been used as a source of tannin, but today mimosa tannin, extracted from the bark of different varieties of mimosa, is more common. Vegetable tanning is traditionally carried out in pits: the skins are hung in a series of pits or vats filled with a tanning solution that becomes stronger every day. This process is slow and can take several weeks or even months before the hides are fully tanned. This method is now rarely used in the production of upholstery leather. More modern, more scientifically controlled processes are borrowed, using drums in the later stages of the process to speed it up.
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This tanning is usually carried out using basic chromium sulphate, a mineral salt that penetrates very quickly into the hide, thus completing the tanning process within twenty-four hours. The leather is then a light/pale duck blue, and after appropriate treatments will become a modern soft leather of high quality. Other mineral tannings (e.g. alum) are also used.
Aldehyde tanning refers to the use of chemicals such as glutaraldehyde or oxazolidine. It is a sought-after type of leather, especially in the children's clothing industry because it is the only leather that does not contain chromium, which is potentially harmful to health.
Once tanned, the leather still needs to undergo further treatment before it can be marketed. It undergoes :
At this stage, the leather will acquire specific properties, notably on texture and appearance. These properties make it possible to standardize the leathers produced. Depending on the use, a distinction is made between aniline, semi-aniline and pigmented finishing.
The aniline finish enhances the surface of the leather by covering it with a transparent product. It is a leather that looks very nice, but requires special care.
Semi-aniline leather is covered with a layer of slightly opaque pigment and a layer of translucent product, which makes it possible to hide small defects.
Pigmented leather is only covered with an opaque pigment layer. It is easy to care for and not very sensitive to water.
📷 Credit: pellevegetale's Youtube Channel
Synthetic leather, also known as faux leather, is a leather-like plastic material, usually made of non-woven fibres (mostly polyamide), trapped in a resin such as polyurethane. It does not contain any animal fibres. It should not be confused with polyurethane leather or PU leather which is a leather (damaged hides or hide waste) agglomerated with synthetic polymers and imitating real leather or By-Cast leather which is a crust of leather covered with a polyurethane film reproducing the surface of the leather.Synthetic leather is used in many articles (shoes, key rings, cases...) because of its aesthetic appearance, its resistance to external aggressions and above all its low price compared to leather.This plastic material does not have the right to be called "leather".
📷 Credit: BTODtv's Youtube Channel
To start with the most famous alternative to animal leather: there is pineapple leather, or Piñatex, a waterproof and strong fabric that looks like leather, can be dyed and can be obtained in different textures and thicknesses.Made from fibres extracted from pineapple leaves, it is inexpensive and environmentally friendly, being made from recovered material. Having been excellently received at the Royal College of Art in London, Piñatex has even attracted major brands such as Puma and Camper, who are developing prototypes of their shoes made from this material.
Other fruits are used to replace the leather, and in the case of Fruitleather, these are the unsold fruits that would otherwise be discarded. Design students in the Netherlands have developed prototype bags made of nectarine skin and mango, by cooking, crushing and dehydrating kilos of fruit to obtain a durable, odourless, plant-based textile that can have different textures and properties.
Vine leather is also a newcomer - made from the residues of skins, stems and seeds from grape exploitation - as is MuSkin (leather made from mushroom skin), rubber tree leather (made from latex, the sap of the rubber tree), and leather made from celluloses recovered from Kombucha tea. A Danish designer has also recently developed a biodegradable material made from apple pulp residues used in cider production, which is rigid and flexible and resembles leather - and is one of PETA UK's approved vegan manufacturers, along with MuSkin and Piñatex.
Cork, on the other hand, does not attempt to resemble leather, but can be used in similar ways (in Vans or Nike shoes, for example, or in bags and wallets, as evidenced by the Jentil brand). Natural, resistant and waterproof, cork is even more than environmentally friendly, with cork oaks capturing twice as much CO2 as any other tree.
📷 Credit: Piñatex by Ananas Anam's Youtube Channel
Leather is an ancient, robust and natural material. Its applications have multiplied over time and have even resisted, despite a sharp decline, the arrival of synthetic textiles.
Nowadays, leather is strongly criticized for its manufacturing conditions and environmental impact, but its durability makes it an undeniable asset for designing parts that will last over time.
Indeed, while the creation of a leather object has a greater environmental impact than another made of synthetic textiles, its durability over time more than compensates for this.
The important thing is to choose quality leathers, manufactured in compliance with standards in order to have a unique and robust product.
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A Quick History Of The Leather Tanning Industry
The history of the leather tanning industry dates further back than you can imagine, and it’s unlikely we’d be where we are today without leather.
Since prehistoric times, leather has been an essential tool in almost every aspect of life. Leather can be made into a light and fabric-like vellum or a hard book cover. It can form soft, delicate gloves as well as impenetrable armour. Leather belts and straps have been incorporated into everything from human attire, to luggage cases, to saddlery, to machinery.
This incredibly versatile resource has helped men and women to travel great distances on foot and then harness horses. In the past, it has also allowed us to bottle water, protect our bodies and homes from the elements, communicate, and even conduct business.
Whether used for playing sport or playing musical instruments, animal hides or skins have played a key role in our cultural rituals.
In the Paleolithic period, around 40,000 years ago, people started making moccasin-like wraparound footwear out of softened animal skins, or rawhide. This seemingly simple advancement gave humankind a major leg up in long-distance travel and marked the beginning of leather-making.
When formerly nomadic tribes established agricultural settlements, animal husbandry provided a steady and easily accessible source of food and rawhide. This allowed our ancient ancestors to develop a process that made hides more durable and less susceptible to decomposition. This process evolved into the craft known as tanning.
Between 12,000 and 6,000 years ago, tanneries began cropping up in towns in Sumeria, Mehrgarh, and other ancient cultures.
The work of an ancient tanner was unglamorous to say the least.It started with an arduous preparatory stage that could take several weeks.
First, the animals skins were cleaned and softened with water. Once cleaned, the tanners still had to pound the hides to remove excess fat and flesh. Next, to loosen the hair follicles, they would either coat the hides with an alkaline lime mixture, leave the hides out to putrefy for months, or soak them in vats of urine before removal with a dull knife (scudding).
In the bating stage, tanners worked animal dung or brains into the skins either by beating with sticks or kneading them in a vat of feces and water. The combination of bacteria enzymes found in animal waste and the beating or kneading action fermented the skin and made it supple.
Understandably, ancient tanneries were always found on the outskirts of towns.
With the malodorous preparatory work complete, the hides were ready for tanning. From ancient times and through the 18th century, tanners used a chemical compound called tannin, derived from tree bark and certain plant leaves. Hides were stretched out on frames and immersed in vats concentrated amounts of tannin. Tannins bind to the collagen proteins in the hide and coat them, causing them to become less water-soluble, more bacteria-resistant, and more flexible.
Leather craft was further developed in the Medieval period to produce the newly-invented turnshoes and welt shoes. New classifications of leather such as suede and nubuck also emerged during this time, pushing the boundaries of what leather could achieve.
Artifacts from Medieval Europe include leather chairs, bottles, buckets, ink wells, shoes, belts, sheaths, satchels, bridles, and coins – many intricately embossed with abstract patterns and imagery.
The Industrial Revolution brought new advancements in technology and chemistry, which helped increase efficiency and diversify the leather-making process. Patent leather, known for its glossy, varnished surface, was invented in 1819.
Chromium tanning, which involves one of the most efficient tanning agents, was developed during the 1850s and could replace vegetable tanning. Synthetic leather was developed after World War II, and became a cost-effective, ethical alternative to genuine leather.
The ancient craft of vegetable tanning is still practiced today, with some improvements that have made the process hygienic and efficient. At the same time, many leather manufacturers are seeking to deepen their environmental commitment. Reducing and diverting waste being a major priority, major purveyors of leather, like Blackstock, have developed magnetic adhesion tiling systems to promote reusability of their wall and floor leather tiles.
Steve MancheeSteve is the Founder, President and Owner of Blackstock Leather Inc. Blackstock is well known for their high quality leather solutions for architectural and interior designs. Blackstock specializes in leather FLOOR and WALL tiles, and have solid partnerships with high quality tanneries. Steve has 50+ years experience working with leather & delights in sharing his knowledge freely with Interior Designers and Architects, making their life easier and less complicated when it comes to leather designs and architectural concepts. Steve is also the inventor and creator of the "Magnetic Leather Floor" and "Magnetic Wall Tiles".
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